The present invention relates to magazines including an endless length of strip material, machines including a magazine receiving station at which is positioned a transducer for recording and/or for reading signals on the strip material in the magazine, and means provided by the combination of the magazine and machine for releasably positioning the magazine at the station.
Heretofore the design of known machines for recording and/or recording signals on strip material or magnetic recording tape in magazines and the design of the magazines adapted to be received in the machines have not afforded easy interchangeable use of magazines of different sizes and strip material capacities in the machines.
Typically the magazines for use in such machines comprise a generally cylindrical hub portion, an endless length of strip material having a major portion wound in a coil about the hub portion and a minor portion extending from the innermost wrap of the coil along a path around the side surface of the coil to the outermost wrap of the coil, and a case enclosing both the coil and the path for the strip material around the side surface of the coil.
Also typically the machine adapted to receive the magazine has means defining a station and means for releasably positioning the magazine in a predetermined position at the station comprising spaced side guide members adapted for engaging the side walls of the magazine when it is positioned at the station.
One such magazine is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,025. Magazines generally of that type have been produced in different widths to afford different tape capacities, and machines have been designed that could accept the different width cartridges. Such acceptance, however, has required adjustments of the members adapted for engaging the side walls of the magazine to ensure that the transducers and means for pulling the strip material through the magazine will properly engage the strip material in the magazine. Thus the interchange of magazines is not as convenient as may be desired and is not commonly practiced, particularly in the broadcast industry where such adjustments interfere with the operator's other duties.